Monday, June 25, 2012

More 'Healthy' Food Frauds

Earlier this year we shared our Top 5 'Healthy' Food Frauds and now we bring you five more “food doozies”. They have a rep for posing as "healthy" but really, they may not be doing you any favours (say, keeping your waistline in check). Get in the know and be sure to identify a "food fraud" when you see one. And stay away. Or modify as suggested.

1. Food Fraud: Low-Fat GranolaThe low-fat version of this crunchy cereal has only 10% fewer calories and is still full of sugar. Plus, the low-fat label can easily lead you to overeat. A study at Cornell University found that people ate 49% more granola when they thought it was low fat -- easily blowing past the measly 10% calorie savings.

Food Fix: Look for low-sugar, whole-grain cereal, and sweeten it with fresh fruit.

2. Food Fraud: Added Omega-3Some yogurt, milk, eggs, cereal, and other foods boast of added omega-3. But most don't contain the kinds of omega-3 best known to help your heart — EPA and DHA. Or there's only a smidgen — about as much as in one bite of salmon. Instead, they contain ALA from vegetable sources. It's not clear if omega-3 from ALA is as beneficial as DHA/EPA.

Food Fix: Try 6 ounces of salmon. It has 100 times more omega-3 than is in a serving of fortified yogurt. Vegetarians could consider algae-derived omega-3 supplements bought at any decent health food and supplement store.

3. Food Fraud: Iced TeaThe antioxidants in iced tea don't make it a health food. Too much added sugar can turn a tall glass into a health hazard. A 20-ounce bottle can have more than 200 calories and 59 grams of sugar. Helllooooo pop!

4. Food Fraud: Iceberg LettuceThis popular lettuce is big on crunch but a big "zero" when it comes to vitamins and flavor. And its boring taste leads many people to overdo it on the dressing.

Food Fix: Add spinach or arugula to the mix. Crumble 2 tablespoons (100 calories) of blue cheese or feta on top. Then splash the salad with a little oil and vinegar to spread flavor without a lot of calories.

5. Food Fraud: Banana ChipsA littl' ol' banana? What could be so bad? Oh yeah. The second word is "chips". Deep-fried bananas are probably not what the dietitian envisioned when she suggested you need to eat more fruits and veggies. These don't look greasy, but just one ounce has 145 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 8 grams of saturated fat — about the same as a fast food hamburger.

Food Fix: Try a fresh banana: four times more food, 0 grams of fat, all for about 100 calories.

Spot any foods you commonly munch on? Hope this will help you to avoid a caloric-blunder that is not a fueling up choice - like, burning 400 calories in spinning class to get them back with a couple handfuls of banana chips?! Argh!